Daitokai (大都会) by Crystal King: The Song That Starts at the Top

Most songs start slowly. This one doesn’t. It starts at the top.

In 1979, a band from Kyushu released a debut single that opens with a soaring high note, with no intro at all. It sold more than 1.5 million copies.

The song

“Daitokai” (大都会, “The Big City”) by Crystal King (クリスタルキング) was released on November 21, 1979, as the band’s debut single. It won the grand prize at the 18th Yamaha Popular Song Contest (known in Japan as “Popcon”), a famous contest that launched many Japanese artists. It became the third best-selling single of 1980 in Japan.

The idea of starting at the top

Normally, a song builds up to its big moment. “Daitokai” does the opposite. It is said that vocalist Masayuki Tanaka (田中昌之) wanted to surprise listeners right away, with the highest note at the very beginning.

As a kid, I thought the name alone was bold: Crystal King. It sounded so confident. And the song matched the name. It opened at the highest note, with no warm-up at all.

Why I fell for this song

I felt refreshed every time I heard that first note. It is bold, and it does not hesitate. In Japanese, we might call this isagiyoi (潔い), which means clean, brave, and with no hesitation. It was very powerful for me back then.

And then there’s the harmony. Two vocalists, Masayuki Tanaka and Monsieur Yoshisaki, blend their voices so tightly that it sounds like one big voice. To me, it is still the best harmony I have ever heard, even today. Please listen for yourself.

Listen

Many people know Crystal King for another song: “Ai o Torimodose!!” (愛をとりもどせ!!), the first opening theme of the anime Fist of the North Star (北斗の拳) in 1984. I remember it very well. It was hugely popular. I only realized recently that it was the same band, and it made me happy to connect the two songs after all these years.

Listen on Spotify:

Crystal King’s best-of CD (CDJapan, affiliate link):

And a single with “Ai wo Torimodoze!!” (Remix) (CDJapan, affiliate link):

Do you know “Daitokai”? Or did you first meet Crystal King through the anime? Tell me in the comments.

This is part of my series: one Showa-era song a day, with a focus on the 80s.